BirdLife Partners along the East Atlantic Flyway have joined forces to save the precious saltpans of Southern Europe and Northern Africa, and the striking birds that rely on them to fuel their incredible journeys between the two continents. Millions of birds use the East Atlantic Flyway twice each year to move between their breeding and wintering grounds. On their long and hard journeys they need stopover sites to rest and feed. Greater Flamingo, Pied Avocet, Dunlin and many other migratory birds are reported to use the saltpans in great numbers.

Saltpans – artificial basins built for the purpose of extracting salt from water using natural evaporation – are crucial refuelling sites for these birds. Sadly, it is a man-made habitat that is disappearing fast. Companies and cooperatives don’t see saltpans as a viable business anymore and the saltpans are being abandoned as a result. In the saltpans that do remain, pollution and disturbance are becoming common problems.

Our BirdLife Partners in Tunisia, Morocco, Spain, Portugal, France and the Netherlands have worked out a plan to save the saltpans and develop best practices for bird-friendly saltpan management. During the coming years we will work to remove vegetation and restore the dikes and pools that are crucial to birds and for a successful salt harvest.

Engaging with local communities, cooperatives and companies to improve the business case for salt harvest will be a central aspect to our work. Furthermore, we will be raising awareness and taking action to tackle water pollution and disturbance in areas near larger cities.

Talla & Gameshope is an upland site in the Tweedsmuir Hills that covers 1,832ha of rolling hills reaching 800m Above Sea Level and features two valleys which feed the Talla Reservoir, one of the main water supplies for the city of Edinburgh. Purchased by our partner in 2015, work has begun on the restoration of lost and degraded habitats including the planting of 183,000 native trees and the restoration of 60 ha of blanket bog peatland. With the Phase 1 Planting Plan now nearing completion, attention has turned to planning Phase 2. The focus of this planting is in the more remote upper areas of the Talla Water and the middle section of the Gameshope Burn called Donald’s Cleuch. The project will plant 161,250 mixed native broadleaved trees over 130ha of land, planting at a density of 1240 stems/ha.

The tree planting will restore native woodlands to an area where deforestation occurred centuries ago. The restored woodland will provide a valuable habitat for plants, birds and animals. A much greater diversity of species is supported in native woodland that the impoverished existing habitats that are being planted so the creation of this woodland will have significant biodiversity benefits for a range of plants, animals, invertebrates and birds.

Our partner will plant mixed broadleaved woodland species such as Sessile Oak, Silver Birch, Downy Birch, Alder, Rowan, Wild and Bird Cherry, Hazel, Holly, Aspen, Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Wych Elm, Grey Willow, Goat Willow, Eared Willow, Bay Willow, Juniper, Elder Mountain. Woodland species to be planted include, Downy Willow, Dark Leaved Willow, Tea-Leave Willow, Juniper, Dwarf Birch.